Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kyung-sun says some types of hate speech are already punishable under current South Korean laws. 

Kim made the remark on Friday during an online briefing to discuss how to make South Korea more open to multiculturalism. She was responding in particular to a question over the efficacy of legislation the ministry earlier said it will pursue to ban hate speech against particular cultures, ethnic groups and countries. 

Although the ministry-sponsored bill has no clauses on punishment, the vice minister denied it lacks effectiveness. 

Noting that it is the first time ever that the country is coming up with legal grounds to ban hate speech, Kim said the bill will be meaningful by spreading awareness that such forms of speech have no place in society. 

She also said that even under the nation’s current criminal code, serious levels of hate speech can be deemed as a breach of a clause banning insults and are punishable by at least one year in prison or two million won in fines.